Packing 101
Before your roll up your sleeves and start packing, you may want to acquaint yourself with Packing 101- a list of basic, yet essential, packing tips. The more prepared, knowledgeable and organized you are in the packing process, the more likely you are to enjoy a positive moving experience. Keep in mind that do-it-yourself packing can take a considerable amount of time, effort and resources. Opting for partial or full professional packing services may facilitate the moving process. Items packed by a licensed mover may also carry more extended insurance coverage. Packing 101 should serve as a basic packing guide. For more in depth packing, check out our Packing By Room/ Item Guide.
Pack In Advance
Try to give yourself as much time as possible to decide what you’d like to take and how to pack it properly. Let StarCity’s Moving Checklist assist you with your planning process. We suggest you allow yourself at least 6 weeks to start packing.
To Pack or Not to Pack
There will surely be some items with which you’ll want to part. The general rule of thumb should be: “when in doubt throw it out”. Use a yard sale in conjuntion with other online classified/auction sites as means of lightening up on possessions you no longer want or need.
Good Supplies Matter
To ensure your belongings arrive safely at your new place, purchase the proper packing materials. Start with checking out StarCity’s Moving Supply Store, where you can find durable boxes, moving kits and useful labels. Keep in mind that there is a box for almost everything you own. Boxed items are typically better protected and easier to move.
Organization Is Key
Divvy up the packing process into smaller more manageable tasks will help you stay organized. Rather than packing everything all at once, it makes sense to pack one room/one area at a time. Also, pack least used items first- this way you can continue to use things important in your daily life until right before you move. Make sure boxes are not in the way of furniture items- try to have a clear path for moving furniture items.
Labeling Your Inventory
Make sure you clearly label and/or color coordinate your boxes. Try to fill boxes only with items from the same room. Labels should show to which room the boxes belong to, what their contents are and whether or not they require special handling. Mark “fragile” or “this side up” wherever applicable. Finally, keep a detailed inventory list that details the contents of your boxes and to which room they belong.
Packing Techniques
Now that you’ve set a packing game plan and bought the proper moving supplies, acquaint yourself with some basic packing techniques:
- Keep boxes at a manageable weight- typically no more than 50 pounds.
- Pack boxes in order of weight- pack heavier items toward the bottom and lighter items toward the top of each box. This will prevent items from being crushed and allow for safer transportation.
- Have plenty of filling material on hand- clean unprinted packing paper, bubble wrap, sheets, towels, tissue paper etc.- may all come in handy when you pack delicate items.
- Wrap all fragile items in unprinted packing paper before packing them in boxes.
- Only use printed newspaper for cushioning rather than wrapping items as the ink may rub off and stain some dishes.
- Fill empty spaces within each box with crumpled paper and use crumpled paper, sheets or cardboard from boxes to build a new layer.
- Pack breakables in boxes rather than leaving them inside drawers.
- Seal the bottoms of all boxes properly with pvc (poly-vinyl chloride) tape rather than celophane or masking tape.
Valuables and Essentials
Make sure to pack items you will need immediately upon arrival at your new place, separately and keep them within reach. Maintaining an essentials box or bag with clothes, toiletries, medication and other important items to carry with you on move day is recommended.
As mentioned in Moving 101, you may want to transport valuable items such as jewelry and important papers such as legal documents (i.e. deeds/titles), identification documents (i.e passport), medical records, financial papers etc. yourself come move day.